Step-can



Dec. 22, 1931. 4 M. KAMENSTEIN' 1,337,221

STEP CAN Filed May 13, 1930 INV E ZNTOR MEYER KAMENSTEIN Tijul.

Patented Dec. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES MEYER KAMENSTEIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK STEP-CAN Application filed. May 13,

The invention relates in general to a step can of the type generally used for receiving garbage and refuse, and which includes an inner and an outer receptacle with a hinged cover for the outer receptacle arranged to be lifted into elevated position by the actuation of a foot pedal.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved form of such step can constructions, featuring ruggedness of construction, economy in manufacturing cost and the providing of a bail construction for the inner receptacle which bail can be kept outside of the outer receptacle and thus dis- 5 posed so as to be kept clean.

In such construction hereto known the hail of the inner receptacle has been contained within the outer receptacle rendering it diflicult for the housewife to reach in between the receptacles in order to lift the bail, and further a bail disposed within the outer receptacle is very apt to become fouled. Accordingly, another object of the invention is to provide a construction by means of which the bail of the inner receptacle may be positioned exteriorly of the outer receptacle and thus readily available for the purpose either of lifting the inner receptacle out of the outer receptacle and for carrying both receptacles when the cover is in itsclosed or in its substantially closed position.

Constructions which permit the extension of the bail out from the interior of the outer receptacle necessitate the providing of a recess or notched upper end to the outer receptacle in order to permit the extension therethrough of opposite ends of the bail. The invention further features the providing of means for compensating for any weakening effect of these recesses and at the same time to provide handles for lifting the outer receptacle. There is also featured the providing of a smooth finish to what would otherwise be the rough,;sharpedges forming. the recess as when the receptacles are made conventionally of thin sheet metal.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings 50 and in part will be more fully set forth in which are shown in Fig. 1. Referring to the 1930. Serial No. 452,117. "T

the following particular description of one form of device embodying the invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set fort-h and claimed.

In the accompanying drawingsz Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical axial section of a step can construction illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, with the cover shown in full lines in closed position and in dotted lines in open position;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the upper portion of the showing in Fig. 1 illustrating the position of the parts when the device is being carried by means of the bail of the inner receptacle; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are detailed views showing the construction of the parts at one end of the bail in its relation to the adjacent portion of the outer receptacle; Fig. 3 showing the parts in side elevation and Fig. 4 showing the parts in plan looking down upon the showing in Fig. 3.

The construction comprises primarily an outer receptacle 10 having a wide open top 11 and a fianged bottom 12. The. outer receptacle is supported on three legs, two of rear leg 18 which is of similar construction to the other legs, it will be noted that it is a hollow pressing which extends downwardly and outwardly from the bottom 12 and projects outwardly beyond the vertically projected outlines of the side of the receptacle 10. The open top 11 is closed by means of a cover 1 1 hingedly connected to the outer receptacle 10 at a point vertically above. the rear leg 18. The pivotal connection between the cover and receptacle includes a pair of parallel outwardly projecting hinge lugs 15 connected adjacent their outer ends by means of a hinge'pin 16. The outer ends of the lugs 15 are somewhat circular in side elevation as shown to the right of Fig. 2 and has its under side recessed to provide an inverted V-shaped stop recess 17 designed to beengaged by an extension from thecover as here- 7; inafter discribed in order to limit the opening movement of the cover to approximately the position indicated in dotted lines in F i 1.

hinge bracket 18 includes a top portion. overlapping and secured by rivets 19 to the top of the cover 14. This bracket also includes an outwardly extending plate portion 19 (see F 1.) the outer end. of which is pivotally mounted on the pin 16 and the parts are so proportioned that the cover swings about the axis provided by the ;pin ;16 so as to insure the complete displacement of the cover away from the open top 11 when the cover is moved into the open position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The-bracket portion 20 includes a notch end 21 desi ned to engage in the recess 17 and to thus limit the opening movement of the cover.

The cover is elevated from its lowered position shown in fulljlines in Fig. 1 into the dotted line open positionby means of foot actu ated mechanism which includes a foot lever 22 extending diametrically under the receptacle 10 and pivoted intermediate its length on a bracket 23 secured to the bottom 12 of the receptacle 10. A vertically extending lift rod 24 has its lower end pivotally connected at 25 to the rear end of the foot lever and has its upper end pivotally connected at 26 to the bracket portion 20 at a point positioned between the pivot pin 16 and the adjacent side of the receptacle. From this censtruction, it will be understood that placing the foot on the pedal end 27 of the lever 22 will cause a vertical shifting of the lift rod 24 from the full line into the dotted line position shown 'in Fig. 1 thus forcing the cover 14 into its-elevated position. Releasing pressure on the pedal27, permits the cover to fall into its closed position by virtue of its own weight. In order to maintain the lift rod guided linits vertical reciprocatory movement and without necessity of providing separate guiding means for this purpose, the lift rod is passed through an opening 28 formed in the outwardly extending portion of the foot 13.

The upper edge defining the open top 11 is recessed at diametrically opposite points, one of which recesses is shown at 29, for the purpose of receiving a bail 31 of an inner receptacle 32 hereinafter described. The portion of the upper edge between the recesses 29 are conventionally beaded as shown at 30 and the upper edge is reinforced about the recesses by means of reinforcing members 33 secured to the outer side of the receptacle 10 and bridging the nnbeaded upper portion of the receptacle at the place where the bail re ceiving recesses are disposed. Describing either one of the reinforcing members 33 and which description will be sufficient for the others, it is noted from the showings in Figs. 2 and 3 that the reinforcement is a curved metal pressing provided with a securing flange'34 fitted to the receptacle and fastened thereto by rivets 35. The lower portion of the member 33 between the lower ends of the flange 34 is offset from the flange 34 and from the adjacent portion of the receptacle as shown in Fig. 4, to form a handle 36 open on its underside to accommodate the fingers of the hand engaging this handle. The upper portion of the member 33 underlaps the beaded construction on opposite sides of the recess 29 and coacts with the beaded top edge to maintain =.a continuity of reinforcement about the entire upper edge of the receptacle. The upper portion of the flange 34 is recessed in alignment to the recess 29 in order to provide a U-shaped recess to receive the adjacent outwardly projecting end portion 37 of the bail. The ends of the bailsare pivotally mounted on pin 40 carried by the inner receptacle .32 as particularly shown in Fig. 4. The recessin themember 33 is outlined by a U-shaped flange 41 fitting in the recess 29 and providing a smooth finish for what would otherwise be a sharp edge outlining the recess 29 in the wall of the outer receptacle.

The bail is designed so that it will extend when in lowered position to the outside of the outer receptaclewith its crown or top por tion 42 resting on and engaging the frontside of the receptacle 10 as shown in Fig. 1. The

bail is sufficiently wide to straddle the cover 1 14 when moved from its lowered into its vertically extending position shown in Fig. 2. The parts are so proportioned with sufiicient diameter to the :bail that with the handle in theelevated position shown in Fig. 2 the entire construction including the inner andouter receptacles may be lifted by raising the handle 31. This movement will have the effect of slightly raising the inner receptacle from the lowered position shown in Fig. 1 into the partly elevated position shown in Fig. 2, thus slightly elevating the cover 14 until it engages the bail 31 as indicated in Fig. 2. VV'hen in this position, the unit comprising the inner and outer receptacles may be carried about from place to place. 'lVhen it is desired to .remove the inner receptacle, the cover is elevated by the foot action hereinbefore described and by engaging the bail 31 adjacent its crown portion 42, the inner receptacle can be lifted clear of the outer receptacle .as is usual .in constructions of this character.

The beaded edge 30 may depend for its reinforcement simply on the strengthening efthere is no need of accommodating the bail nor its mounting within the outer receptacle. The entire upper edge of the inner receptacle has been reinforced thus tending to minimize possibility of distorting at this edge when subjected to the usual practice of garbage men in emptying the receptacle by hammering this edge against the refuse container. The device can be easily carried either by the bail or by the side handles in the absence of the bail.

I claim:

1. In a step can construction, the. combination of an open top outer receptacle provided with diametrically disposed'recesses in its upper edge, a cover hinged to the outer receptacle for closing said open top, an inner receptacle demountably positioned in the outer receptacle and provided with a bail by means of which the inner receptacle may be lifted out of the outer receptacle, said bail having opposite ends pivotally connected thereto, projecting therefrom to the exterior of the outer receptacle and having its end portions extending through said recesses and said bail adapted to be lowered with its crown portion engaging the side of the outer receptacle thus leaving the cover free to be raised and said bail also adapted to be elevated into a vertically extending position and when so elevated encircling and engaging the cover and acting therethrough to lift both receptacles.

2. In a step can construction, the combination. of an outer receptacle having a wide open top adapted to receive an inner receptacle, a pair of hinge lugs projecting parallel to each other from the outer side of the outer receptacle adjacent its open top, a hinge pin extending between the lugs in ofl'set relation to the adjacent side of the outer receptacle, said lugs provided on their underside with cover stopping recesses, a cover for said open top, said cover provided with a hinge bracket projecting radially from the outer edge of the cover and pivotally connected at its outer end with the offset pin and said bracket provided with a stop member encircling the axis of rotation of the cover about said pin and the end of said stop member engaging in said cover stopping recesses to limit the opening movement of said cover and foot controlled means engaging the cover to swing the same into its open position.

3. In a device of the class described. the combination of an outer receptacle provided with a pair of recesses in its upper edge, a combined handle and edge reinforcing member outlining each of said recesses and acting to reinforce the recessed portions of the upper edge, an inner receptaclev provided with a bail having its end portions extending diametrically outward from the sides of the inner receptacle and adapted to be received in the reinforcing members, and said bail adapted to be raised and lowered while disposed in said reinforcing members.

4. An open top receptacle provided with a recess in its upper edge, a pressing including a securing flange fastened to the portion of the receptacle about said recess, the lower portion of said pressing offset from said flange and from the receptacle to provide a handle, and said pressing provided above the handle with a U-shaped flange fitting in said recess.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of an outer receptacle provided with a recess in its upper edge, a pressing including a securing flange fastened to the outer side of the receptacle and having an outwardly oflset portion constituting a handle and said pressing including a Ushaped flange fitting in the recess in the receptacle and adapted to receive a hail of an inner receptacle positioned in the outer receptacle.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of an outer receptacle having a pair of diametrically disposed bail receiving recesses in its upper edge, said edge being beaded between the recesses, each recess being outlined by a reinforcing member, secured to the outer side of the receptacle, lapping and coacting with the beaded edge to provide a continuous reinforcement to upper edge of the receptacle and said reinforcing members each provided with an open top recess adapted to receive a bail of a receptacle positioned in the outer receptacle.

7. An open top receptacle having an interrupted beaded portion outlining a part of the upper edge and providing two diametrically opposed unbeaded portions, a pair of reinforcing members secured to the receptacle, bridging said unbeaded portions and having its ends underlapping the beaded portions and coacting with the beaded portions to strengthen the entire upper edge of the receptacle.

8. An open top receptacle provided with a recess in its upper edge, a pressing secured to the portion of the receptacle about the recess and reinforcing the same and said pressing having an outstanding U-shaped flange portion outlining the edge of the recess in said upper edge. 7

9. An open top receptacle provided with a beaded edge having a recess, a bead wire for reinforcing said edge, a reinforcement for said upper edge including a securing flange bridging the unbeaded portion provided with the recess, said reinforcement providing a flange extending outwardly from said securing flange and disposed at the ends of said bead wire and acting to prevent shifting movement of the sam Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York this 5th day of May, 1930.

MEYER KALIENSTEI'N. 

